CEOs today are under extraordinary pressure. Digital transformation is racing ahead, economic volatility has become the norm, and retaining top talent has never been harder. Traditional growth levers—bigger ad spends, deeper discounts, louder campaigns—no longer guarantee results. The real question leaders face is: How do you...
Tsedal Neeley is the Naylor Fitzhugh Professor of Business Administration and Chair of the MBA Program at Harvard Business School. She’s also a board director, bestselling author, and one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices on leadership and the future of work. Recently, she shared a simple but...
Carl Jung once said, “Man needs difficulties. They are necessary for health.” The same is true for brands. Yet many instinctively avoid difficulty. They shy away from conflict, from tough expectations, or from friction with customers. But here’s the paradox: the very struggles brands embrace are the...
In the race for innovation, growth, and market share, many brands forget a simple truth: customers don’t fall in love with complexity—they fall in love with clarity. At the heart of every Cult Brand is a clear and consistent emotional experience. And one of the fastest...
Marvel Studios may be facing theatrical turbulence, but its brand remains strong. While critics point to "superhero fatigue" and underperforming films, Marvel has never relied solely on its box office performance. The brand's real power lies in how it connects with its most loyal fans—its Brand...
One of the clearest truths in marketing is also one of the easiest to forget: Brands with higher awareness get far greater return from the same media spend. This isn’t a vague theory—it’s been demonstrated across multiple platforms, from ecommerce marketplaces to TikTok. The effect is consistent...
If you’re serious about growth, invest in TV. TV isn’t just another channel—it’s the stage where brands earn cultural relevance. When done right, it becomes more than advertising. It becomes a signal of trust, a story customers carry with them, and a catalyst for loyalty. TV Still...
If someone asked me to define a cult brand, I wouldn’t start with logos or marketing campaigns. I’d start with people. At its core, a cult brand isn’t just a company with loyal customers. It’s a brand that people join. In our research (Why We Join), we...
Every industry has its “safe bets.” The products and services that succeed by being reliable, consistent, and available. They’re the brands people don’t mind switching out for a cheaper alternative at the grocery store or at the car rental counter. But then there are the other...
If your brand disappeared tomorrow, would anyone really miss it? That’s the uncomfortable question most companies avoid. And yet, it’s the line that separates ordinary brands from Cult Brands. In The Cult Branding Workbook, we make a critical distinction: most products succeed by being reliable, accessible, and...